Favorite .38Spl Snub Loads?

[Tony_the_tiger]

I like Speer Gold Dot 135 + P. I also enjoy Buffalo Bore 150 grain full wadcutter. These are both manageable for me in a 442. I am more accurate with the former. I believe the gold dot will cause a more violent wound channel with adequate penetration. I believe the latter will have superior barrier penetration and a smaller diameter wound cavity. My advice is to find what feels right and shoots best in your hands in your firearm.

 

[dawei]

In my Smith & Wesson BODYGUARD 38, and Taurus Mdl 85SS2UL I use Buffalo Bore® 38 Special Standard Pressure 158gr LSWCHCGC (#20C/20). In my Taurus® Mdl 605SS2 and 617SS2 357 Magnum snubbies I use the Buffalo Bore® 38 Special 158gr LSWCHCGC +P (#20A/20).

 

[edmo01]

Pick a reputable brand and select their "self defense" load. You will likely spend a dollar/round and they will run in your revolver.

You could even run the Remington 125 grain +P semi-jacketed hollow points in the Walmart 100 round value pack. Remember, your ability to hit your mark is way more important than the defensive round you carry.

Edmo

 

[cocojo]

I tried many a round through my Ruger LCR 38 special. I am carrying the Remington 125 Golden Sabre's at this time. Golden Sabre's seem to shoot best in my gun and from what I observed from testing, they seem to work extremely well. There available and reasonably priced. There are other rounds that shot well but I chose these for control and POA with good ballistics.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I have a box of Golden Saber 125gr +P, a big box of Remington 158gr +P LSWC and a 20 round box of 129gr +P Federal Hydra-Shok that I had forgotten about. Think I'll try a few of each next range trip.

Of course, that's one great thing about wheelguns; for the most part you don't have to run a couple hundred rounds of a given load through your gun to make sure it works right.

 

[SeanSw]

I just just picked up a couple hundred rounds of Remington 125gr Golden Saber +p to test and carry. This load seems to do alright in testing even though my personal preference would be for heavier and hotter .38 specials. The standard pressure Hornady 158gr xtp we've been using feel similar to a variety of lightly loaded factory ammo that already chronograph quite slowly from longer barrels.

I'm also trying to keep in mind that there is only so much that one can realistically attempt with a lightweight polymer framed snub nosed revolver. My significant other is not going to train often enough with Buffalo Bore barn burners to make them a viable carry choice.

 

[SFsc616171]

Why anyone, in this day and age, where every penny that we earn is looked upon by government as not your money, would someone buy outrageously overpriced ammunition, where for years, and from a few coroners on record at that, that simple wadcutters, and I do NOT mean the 'Apple Corp.' equivalent Buffalo whatever, have been putting down folks for years?

There is no perfect blaster beam one-shot. Why do you think 'the Mozambique Drill' was developed? Wadcutters and semiwadcutters non-h.p., have been working for many years on many different critters on the face of the Earth, including man.

 

[gun_with_a_view]

The wadcutter was born back in the day when about all that could be done to enhance bullet performance was to make them bigger and flatten the nose. Maybe take a hacksaw and cut a cross on the meplat in hopes of getting some expansion. Nowadays, modern hollowpoints seem to have eclipsed all that crude technology and give us bullets that expand wonderfully in the right media:gel, water, etc. But I'll wager the wadcutter is still bad to the bone, as they say.